BLP 1565

Cliff Jordan

Released - October 1957

Recording and Session Information

Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ, June 2, 1957
Lee Morgan, trumpet #1,4,5; Curtis Fuller, trombone #1-4; John Jenkins, alto sax; Clifford Jordan, tenor sax; Ray Bryant, piano; Paul Chambers, bass; Art Taylor, drums.

tk.4 St. Johns
tk.5 Not Guilty
tk.6 Blue Shoes
tk.8 Beyond The Blue Horizon
tk.9 Ju-Ba

Session Photos

 

Photos: Francis Wolff

Track Listing

Side One
Title	Author	Recording Date
Not Guilty	Clifford Jordan	02/06/1957
St. John	John Jenkins	02/06/1957
Side Two
Blue Shoes	Curtis Fuller	02/06/1957
Beyond The Blue Horizon	W. Frank Harling, Leo Robin, Richard A. Whiting	02/06/1957
Ju-Ba	Lee Morgan	02/06/1957

Credits

Cover Photo:	FRANCIS WOLFF
Cover Design:	TOM HANNAN
Engineer:	RUDY VAN GELDER
Producer:	ALFRED LION
Liner Notes:	ROBERT LEVIN

Liner Notes

NOT tong ago, during the course of an interview, Horace Silver told me;

"It was hard getting a record date before the LP but now it seems that anybody and his brother can get a date. I mean a cat takes one lesson and he thinks he's ready and so he gets together with a bunch of other cats who also have had only one lesson and they record. Of course I'm exaggerating but the true situation in some cases is almost as ridiculous. Cats like that aren't fooling anybody but themselves. The public knows what's happening. But in a way I'm glad the opportunity has presented itself. It's giving a lot of really good musicians a chance to get heard — guys like Clift Jordan and Curtis Fuller..."

Horace's comment holds much significance in both its negative and positive aspects. He is right when he says, in effect, that a great many not-yet-ready and/or undeserving musicians have been granted a recording date. He is also right when he mentions the good the LP has brought about by offering full exposure to relatively unknown musicians of exceptional talent- "Guys like Clif Jordan and Curtis Fuller."

The answer, in the main, lies in the musical perceptiveness of recording company executives. If their motive to record the budding artist stems from a sincere and intelligent faith in his talent then (though the move may still represent a gamble both musically and commercially) one can be happy over the advent of 'he LP and the boom it has initiated.

Alfred Lion's motive to record Cliff Jordan coincides with the above statement and a quick glance at the Blue Note catalog will show that this very "hip" gentleman has made few mistakes.

Jimmy Smith, Horace Silver, Kenny Burrell, Johnny Griffin and many others were all practically unheard of outside of their own areas before they recorded for Blue Note. Each achieved recognition because each is extremely talented and because Blue Note had the foresight to recognize their talent and give them the chance to display it.

Cliff Jordan is here represented for the third time on the Blue Note label. (He can be heard on "Blowing in From Chicago", BLP 1549, in which he shares spotlight honors with tenor John Gilmore, and with Pouf Chambers, BLP 1564). He was born in Chicago and has been playing tenor sax for the past eleven of his twenty-six years. At this writing he is a member of the Horace Silver quintet (having just completed four weeks with Max Roach) and Horace can speak in nothing but superlatives about him. Cliff has a strong, virile tone that is similar in essence to Sonny Rollins (a mighty influence on so many of today's young tenor men) but he is by no means an ersatz Rollins. His conception is personal, fresh and exciting and he will, no doubt, rank high in the "New Star" polls.

Cliff attended DuSable High School in Chicago and among his classmates were Griffin, Gilmore and John Jenkins.

Jenkins is the latest of the "DuSable High Gang" to be imported to New York. John was born on January 3, 1931 and began his musical studies on the clarinet. He switched to alto sax after he heard Charlie Porker and played in the DuSabte band where he met and became friendly with Jordan. He gigged on and off with Cliff and people like Art Farmer and for while led his own group at the Beehive. The group would alternate with "name" units passing through. He has been playing now for approximately ten years and came to New York in March, 1957 working for a short time with Charlie Mingus and recording with Hank Mobley, BLP 1560. His four favorite musicians are; Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Miles Davis and Sonny Stitt.

Lee Morgan, who is heard here on all the tunes but Not Guilty and Blue Shoes, was only eighteen when he recorded his first LP for Blue Note ("Lee Morgan Indeed", BLP 1538) but he was already a mature and moving soloist. His sound and method of attack relate to the Gillespie, Navarro, Brown school and he is currently featured in Dizzy's sensational big band. He his own sextet on BLP 1538, BLP 1541, BLP 1557 and is on Hank Mobley's album, BLP 1540.

Curtis Fuller, who's trombone playing is held in high esteem by Silver, Miles Davis and many other "knowing" stars is a native of Detroit, Michigan. He was born on December 15, 1934 and graduated high school when he only sixteen. He attended Wayne University and worked various odd jobs to get together enough money to buy a horn, then played with Nat and "Cannonball" Adderley, Junior Mance, Kenny Burrell. Pepper Adams and Tommy Flanagan and taught music at Detroit University before coming to New York. He is considered by many to be the next Jay Jay Johnson and is now under exclusive contract to Blue Note. Curtis has his own side, due out shortly, "The Opener", BLP 1567.

Pianist Ray Bryant, like Lee Morgan, is a Philadelphian who was born December 24, 1931. He began his musical career by playing bass (as did his eldest brother) in his junior high school band but soon afterward took up the piano and worked often at Jack Field's Blue Note Club in Philly. He sports an easy, flowing line and has played Charlie Porker, Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and many others of import in modern jazz.

Paul Chambers should be familiar to Blue Note fans. His bass has rapidly become the finest in contemporary jazz. He has three of his own LPs on Blue Note (BLP 1534, BLP 1564, BLP 1569), and can be heard with Kenny Burrell, BLP 1523, Lee Morgan, BLP1541, Hank Mobley, BLP 1540, and many others.

Drummer Art Taylor, of the Roach-Blakey school is one of the most sought after of modern drummers and the only musician on this date who hails from New York. He has played with practically everyone including Coleman Hawkins, Bud Powell, George Wallington. Art Farmer, Lou Donaldson, Lennie Tristano, Jackie McLean, Sonny Rollins and most recently with the Miles Davis quintet.

Cliff's pensively inflected, Not Guilty. which opens the session, is "not guilty" of banality, dullness or triteness but is most certainly guilty of swinging and fine. pertinent blowing, Cliff, Curtis, John, Ray and Paul, in that order. St. John, by Jenkins, suggests a happy mood and features exuberant solos by all the horns and Bryant.

Curtis Fuller's Blue Shoes are size funk and fit everyone (Curtis, Cliff, John, Paul and Ray are the soloists) easily and comfortably. A brief piano intro and then Cliff comes out wailing on the standard, Beyond The Blue Horizon, followed by Lee's racing trumpet and equally swift statements by Curtis, John and Ray. Cliff and Art trade some fours before Cliff takes it out. Lee's muted trumpet opens and closes his Ju-ba, a provocative "way down" blues (minus Fuller). Cliff's solo is his best on record; soulful, poignant and gutted deep in the blues, and John who follows extends the mood with two flowing choruses steeped eloquently in the Parker tradition.

I must point out that while Art Taylor receives little solo space in this set, his steady and intuitive rhythmic sense is a continuous gas throughout.

Listen once to the musical contents contained herein and you will be assured that Cliff and the musicians associated with him have had a good deal more than "one" lesson — in fact I wouldn't be a bit surprised to find them all becoming teachers in the not too distant future.

—ROBERT LEVIN

Cover Design by TOM HANNAN
Photo by FRANCIS WOLFF
Recording by RUDY VAN GELDER